The Protector 2'0
by Tijiya
Summary: In a life with youkai, you can bet it will be anything but normal. Midoriko appears in a strange dream, a Guardian and a Protector? But who is the female that she speaks of? When they find a woman wounded little did they know that she was the one that was
1. The Dream: Part one

**Chapter One (Part one)**

**The Dream**

_**Kurama Pov** _

_Darkness, thick foliage, I could not make out much more than that. Soft grass bent beneath my bare feet as I wandered through the unknown place. The energy surrounding this place was pure; I had not felt such a thing since my days as a youko. The air around me was cold, but at the same time it wasn't. Confusing, I know, but that's all it could be described as. I spotted a soft while light ahead, what is it? I found myself moving towards the light, I wasn't certain if it was voluntary or not…I didn't seem to have control over my legs. My muscles tightened should I need to be ready for battle, my right hand twitched waiting to draw my rose whip at a moments notice. As I came closer to the light it steadily became brighter. I reached the end of the foliage that had obstructed my view of where the light was coming from. In the middle of the clearing, underneath a great tree was a woman. The light was coming from…her. I halted not certain if I should move closer or not. The woman turned her head to me when she noticed my presence. _

_"There is no need for hostility," she spoke in a gentle tone. "I know who you are Kurama and I have no desire to harm you." I started to move back, how did she know my name? The woman stood and started to come near me, I noticed that a small white fox followed. She wore traditional Miko garbs and her long ebony hair was tied at the end with a while ribbon. _

_"Who are you?" I questioned. _

_"I am Midoriko," she replied. Something sparked in the back of my mind. Midoriko, where had I heard that name before? Wait…Midoriko…maker of the Shikon no Tama? I took another step back. "As I said before, I have no wish to harm you. I just wish to speak with you." _

_"Then speak," I said, my eyes narrowed. They flashed golden before returning to their normal emerald color. _

_"A new ally shall come in the cover of darkness. Wounded you shall find her, heartbroken she shall be. Find common ground and stand by her side. A protector and a guardian shall soon be known. To stand alongside her they will, to help her find love….they must. Stay strong to defeat an old evil, stand together to make him fall." _

_"What does that mean?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me. _

_"You will know soon enough, for now take this sword. Use it to protect her," she said and held out a sword. The sheath was black, a red rose design wound to the top of it, in the middle was 'Protector' written in kanji. I took it immediately feeling the strong power course through my being. "Good luck, Protector of the Forbidden." Before another word could come from my mouth, I fell into complete darkness. _

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**You find a piece of paper laying on an oak desk, you pick it up and read:**

**_I, Tijiya, hereby state no claim to the following anime:_**

_**Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi**_

_**Yu Yu Hakusho © Yoshihiro Togashi**_

_**I only borrow them to amuse myself and my readers. **_

**_-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-_**

**Version 2.0 of The Protector! I hope that you will all enjoy the new and improved version as much as the original. I have a question, one that I'm completely clueless about. I could make this a Kagome/Kurama as I had before, but there are two other possibilities: Kagome/Hiei and Kurama/Kagome/Hiei. Please give me your opinion! It'd help a whole lot!**


	2. The Dream: Part two

**Chapter One (Part two)**

**The Dream**

_**Hiei Pov**_

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_A growl spilt from my throat, I was way past annoyed. There seemed to be no end in the thick foliage, no matter how long I walked everything seemed the same. I cut through a few more branches with my katana that had gotten in my way. I glanced over my shoulder only to find that the foliage had made it where I was forced to keep going forward. Damn it all! Continuing on my path I noticed a soft white light, maybe that was the way out. About damn time too. The air around me grew colder, although it wasn't the same as the cold air in the Ningenkai. As I drew closer to the light the foliage became thinner making it easier to move. My right hand kept a firm grip on my Katana, if an enemy was to await me then I would gladly comply by attacking. As I came closer to the light it steadily grew brighter, what the hell is it? When I reached the edge of the seemingly endless forest I halted. In the middle of the clearing, sitting beneath a great tree was a woman. The light had been coming from…her. I narrowed my eyes, what was going on? I stiffened when she turned her head towards me, one wrong move and I'd slice her head from her shoulders. _

_"There is no need for hostility, I am not here to harm you," she spoke in a gentle tone that did nothing to calm my nerves. She stood and started to come near me, I let out a warning growl. She stopped immediately, but did not turn away. "Hiei, I know much about you. But I would not have called you here if I wanted to harm you." I moved back, how did this woman know my name? _

_"Who are you?" I ground out. _

_"I am Midoriko," she replied. I took in her attire, by the looks of it she was a Miko. She was clad in traditional Miko garbs; her ebony hair was tied at the end with a white ribbon. No way in the seven levels of hell was I going to trust a Miko! I moved back further, but was stopped by a tree trunk. Glancing back I saw that I couldn't go back the same way I had come. "As I said before, I have no wish to harm you. I just wish to speak with you." _

_"Then speak quickly," I snapped. _

_"A new ally shall come in the cover of darkness. Wounded you shall find her, heartbroken she shall be. Find common ground and stand by her side. A protector and a guardian shall soon be known. To stand alongside her they will, to help her find love….they must. Stay strong to defeat an old evil, stand together to make him fall." _

_"What the hell does that mean?" I questioned quickly growing impatient. _

_"You will know soon enough, for now take this sword," she said and held it out. The sheath was white with a black dragon design winding to the top. In the middle 'Guardian' was written in kanji. I took it immediately feeling immense power course through me. "Good luck, Guardian of the Forbidden." Before I could say another word, darkness took over. _

****

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**You find a piece of paper laying on an oak desk, you pick it up and read:**

**_I, Tijiya, hereby state no claim to the following anime:_**

_**Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi**_

_**Yu Yu Hakusho © Yoshihiro Togashi**_

_**I only borrow them to amuse myself and my readers. **_

**-.-.-.-.-**


	3. The Strange Girl

**Chapter Two **

**The Strange Girl **

_Beep! _

_Beep! _

_BEEP! _

Kurama shot up looking around wildly for the object that had awoken him so abruptly. It took him a few moments before he was able to register where the noise was coming from. Opening his end table drawer, he pulled out his communicator and opened it. It wasn't too often that he was contacted through the communicator save for when on a case. In fact, this was the first time. Botan immediately appeared on the screen looking slightly distraught.

_"Koenma has another case for you, but he wishes to speak in person this time."_ This information shocked the kitsune a bit; Koenma never explained their latest case to them in person. Normally he would send Botan to deliver a tape with the necessary information. _"Meet the others at _ _Kurokei_ _Park__, I'll be there with a portal." _He nodded and closed the communicator when the screen went blank. He scrambled out of bed to pull on fresh clothing all the while thinking about the strange dream he had. But, of course, it was just that…a dream. Right? As he pulled a shirt on he caught a glimmer out of the corner of his eye. He narrowed his eyes a bit and walked over to his desk, on which laid a sword. Not just any sword though, the same sword from his dream. Kurama picked it up, his emerald orbs examining every inch of the sheathed blade. How could something from his dream, be on his desk as real as the wood it rested on? He shook his head realizing that he should have already been out the door. He doubted that he'd be back before his mother awoke so he jotted down a quick note and, after tying the sword to his side, quietly dashed out the door. The sounds of a brewing argument reached his ears long before they came into view. It would be obvious to anyone with half a brain that Kuwabara and Yusuke were not at all happy about being woken up before sunrise, not that Kurama was too pleased either. Hiei was currently leaning against a tree trying to ignore the two arguing teens, trying being the key word. Kurama suspected that Botan would pop up at any given moment, unless delayed by something or other. Hiei's eyes suddenly snapped open, his crimson gaze scanning the entire area.

_'Is something wrong Hiei?'_ Kurama questioned opening a mind-like between himself and the crimson eyed hybrid.

**'Did you not feel the aura surge just now?' **

_'No.' _Kurama looked at him in question, how could Hiei feel something he could not?

**'I'm going to check it out.' **

_'Botan should be here shortly.' _

**'I don't care, I'd rather not go if it's all the same to you,'** Hiei huffed before closing the mind-link and disappearing from their sights.

"Where the hell did Hiei go?" Yusuke growled.

"I'm not quite certain," Kurama sighed. Before their team leader could go off on a rant about Hiei up and leaving, Botan finally appeared portal and all.

"Hm, where'd Hiei go?" Was the first thing out of her mouth.

"Who knows," Yusuke huffed and walked into the glowing pink portal followed by Kuwabara and Kurama.

"I'll go look for him, Koenma wants all of you for this case," Botan said before taking out her oar and closing the portal behind them. Lord Koenma sat behind a large oak desk, his hands folded neatly atop it. For once he had taken on the form of a teenager, which was not too often. Whatever was going on was of the utmost importance. He took the time to look at them, his brow furrowing in confusion when he failed to see Hiei.

"Where is Hiei? I hope that he did not attempt to run out on this case," Koenma spoke at last. His voice sounded strained.

"Botan is retrieving him at the moment," Kurama replied.

"I will inform you now and you can fill him in later," Koenma sighed and ran a hand through his sandy brown locks. "There have been reported energy surges that occur every once in a while for a couple of years now. They hadn't been anything to worry about so we hadn't thought anything of it. A couple of days ago there was a strong surge of energy that caused our whole system to temporarily shut down; it happened three times today as well. The first two weren't as strong as the last though. I want you guys to track down whoever or whatever is harnessing such power and bring them to me. But I must warn you to be careful; this is very dangerous for the power itself is very under trained. Should whoever is harnessing the power become panicked they could kill you without even trying," Koenma informed them. "The best places to begin looking would be the shrines and temples…."

" Lord Koenma!" Botan's voice cried out as she burst through the door, her pink eyes wide in alarm.

"Calm down Botan, what is it?" He noticed that both of her hands looked burnt, but who could burn a spirit? Hiei soon stepped into the room calm as ever, the temperature in the room suddenly rose. Their gazes all rested on what lay unconscious in his arms, a young woman. She had dried blood on many various spots of her body and her outfit was hardly decent anymore. Hiei's cloak was wrapped around her frail body to make up for what her outfit horribly lacked. Her long raven hair was matted due to the dried blood and her expression was tormented.

"Where did you find this girl?" Koenma questioned, his gaze never leaving the wounded female.

"Hiei found her at the bottom of a set of steps in front of a shrine," Botan explained. "I tried to heal her," Botan glanced at her hands. "I found I couldn't." The girl moaned in pain, but continued to stay unconscious. The temperature of the room suddenly dropped when the female gave a particular whimper. Koenma stood and motioned to the couch.

"Set her down over there." Hiei did as told, but the moment he let her go she started to shiver violently and curl into a tight ball. Small moans came from her making her sound like a wounded animal that had been left to die. Only when Hiei picked her up again did she finally quiet, he suppressed a groan of displeasure. Why was this female so intent to cling to him when she wasn't even conscious? Kurama noticed that Yusuke was at the far end of the office looking at the girl warily as if she had done something. He walked over to Yusuke wondering what was wrong.

"Is everything all right Yusuke?" he questioned.

"I don't know, but that girl isn't normal," Yusuke replied. His right arm was a tad redder than was comfortable, but what had happened to it? Is it possible that Yusuke couldn't get near her? If so, why could Kurama and Hiei? Kurama shook his head; the more answers the more questions.

"Mmn, wha?" All heads turned to the female in Hiei's arms; it seemed that she had finally awoken.

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**You find a piece of paper laying on an oak desk, you pick it up and read:**

**_I, Tijiya, hereby state no claim to the following anime:_**

_**Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi**_

_**Yu Yu Hakusho © Yoshihiro Togashi**_

_**I only borrow them to amuse myself and my readers. **_


	4. She Awakens

**Chapter Three**

**She Awakens!**

The girl opened her eyes before shutting them tightly once more due to the unexpected light. For a moment she wished she hadn't woken up yet, for every bone in her body throbbed painfully. She opened her eyes again, this time slowly, allowing her vision to clear so she could see better. She noticed one thing right off the bat, she wasn't alone. She felt someone's strong arms wrapped around her frail, aching body.

"P-put…me…down," she managed to say. Her voice cracked with each word, her throat was dry and sore. The moment her feet touched the ground Hiei released his hold on her. She felt the world around her spin before loosing her balance. Hiei saw this coming and picked her up once more. "I…said…put me…down." She repeated.

"You don't have the strength to stand," Hiei grunted and placed her on the couch. The mysterious female shifted her cerulean gaze to each person in the room.

"Where…where am I?"

"You are in the Rekai," Koenma answered. She turned her gaze to the young prince who came to stand in front of her.

"How…did I…get here?"

"Hiei," he motioned to the fire apparition standing nearby. "…brought you here."

"Why?" this question was directed at Hiei. He simply turned his head refusing to answer her question.

"Who are you?" Koenma questioned quickly changing the subject.

"Why should…should I trust you with…that information? I don't trust you…nor them," she answered bluntly, her gaze never showing what she felt.

"Hiei, which shrine did you find her at?"

"Higurashi Shrine," he answered.

"Kagome, Midrika, Higurashi. Protector of the Shikon no Tama, time traveler," Koenma whispered in such a low tone that only she could hear. The girl, now identified as Kagome, nodded wrapping the cloak tighter around herself.

"How did you know that?" her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"I am Koenma, prince of the Rekai. It's my job to keep track of all time travelers…" he turned to the others who were still wondering what the hell was going on…well three of them. Two of them just wanted to go to bed! "It seems that your case has just changed."

"What?" Yusuke exclaimed on the brink of yelling making Kagome wince.

"You are to aid Kagome in her quest, whatever it may be." In truth he did not have the foggiest idea what her quest was, all he knew was that she had one.

"No," Kagome ground out. "They are not to accompany me!" Her throat throbbed painfully in protest at her yelling.

"It would be in your best interest for them to accompany you."

"Amateurs, the lot of 'em," she mumbled fully aware that they could hear her. Hiei growled warningly, she was lucky that Koenma was around.

"I can assure you, they are not amateurs. They are my best."

"Never again will I let any male help me with this!" she growled, her eyes taking on a red tinge.

"I must insist, I do not know what you do while there, it is a concern of mine. If you do not let them, then I will be forced to seal the portal," Koenma sighed. He only threatened as a last resort. Her eyes narrowed knowing full well that he can and will do as said.

"Fine, but if they anger me to this extent…I will not be held accountable for my actions."

"Very well."

"I am leaving at six 'o clock in the morning. Be there or be left behind," she stated.

"I can assure you, they _won't _be late," Koenma nodded putting extra emphasis on 'won't'.

"I would like to return home so I am ready for tomorrow." Botan made a portal for Kagome who promptly went through.

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**Okay, short chapter, I know, but it goes from short to long depending on where I decide to stop it. **

**Question Corner**

**Question 1: Why couldn't Yusuke go near Kagome?**

_Answer: Well all I will say for now is his aura gave off a familiar feeling that her concience reacted to in an attempt to protect herself._

**Question 2: When will Kurama and Hiei figure out their dreams?**

_Answer: They will in time. _

**Parring Corner**

****

_So far the parrings are undecided, but I had a suggestion for a Kur/Kag/Hiei parring. I am open to suggestions!_

**Disclaimer Corner**

****

_Inuyasha (c) Rumiko Takahashi_

_Yu Yu Hakusho (c) Yoshihiro Togashi_

Thanks to all of my reviewers! I hope that you continue to do so!


	5. Feudal Japan

**Chapter Four **

**Feudal ** **Japan**

To Yusuke, five-forty in the morning was way to early seeing as the sun was just beginning to rise. He would rather be sleeping in his nice warm bed, unfortunately he, and the others, had no choice. Hiei was in front as they walked to the Higurashi Shrine where Kagome would be awaiting their arrival. As silence continued to envelope the tired group Yusuke noticed that tied to the apparition's side was not one, but two swords. His brow furrowed in confusion, when had Hiei gotten that? Kurama too was sporting one as well, although the sheath and hilt was different. When the shrine came into view Kagome was waiting for them at the top of the many steps of the shrine. She didn't seem fazed by the fact that it was so early. Her outfit consisted of dark blue hakama and a white tank top. Tied to her side was a sword encased in a white sheath with a pink orb engraved at the top. Two light brown strips went from the orb winding down the sheath to the end and the kanji for '----' was written in the middle. On her back were a bow and a quiver full of sharp arrows. She regarded them with guarded eyes as they came up the steps. She looked more pleasant than the previous day, but still didn't look all that approachable. In her hands she held a folded black cloth, she walked over to Hiei as he was first to reach the top.

"I do believe this belongs to you," she said as she handed him his cloak. It had no blood stains or anything of the sort as it should have after she was wrapped in it. She said nothing more before walking to the well house. "To put this short and simple," she started out letting them file in before herself. "The well is my use of transportation to the past," She held out four sparkling pink shards giving one to each male. "Whether or not the well lets you through, even with the shards, is not my problem."

"So we jump down the well?" Kuwabara questioned. To him, it seemed ridiculous.

"Yes," Kagome replied shortly before jumping into the depths of the well. A blue light engulfed her being; when it vanished she was gone. Hiei was the first to venture into the unknown; it was a bit surprising when the blue light engulfed him as well.

**T.H.E.P.R.O.T.E.C.T.O.R **

Kagome was a bit more than surprised when she saw that the well had let all four of them through, but said nothing of it.

"Heh, you thought I was kidding when I said the well transports me to the past didn't you?" she questioned upon seeing the mild shock that took over their expressions momentarily.

"How far in the past are we?" Kuwabara asked.

"Five hundred years or so," she replied. Hiei and Kurama seemed to adjust to the natural surroundings quickly.

'Feels like home,' Kurama thought with a small smile.

"I warn you though, don't let your guard drop. Youkai roam among humans freely in this time, the Makai has not come into existence as of yet." Turning on her heel she began walking in a seemingly random direction. "I might as well tell you what my quest is about shouldn't I?"

"That would most likely be wise," Hiei replied shortly.

"I, along with a couple of my friends, are searching for the fragments of the Shikon no Tama. To find them we normally go to villages and gather rumors of where they may be, but if they are close enough I can sense the general direction one may be in. However, we are not the only ones searching to complete the shattered jewel. A hanyou, by the name of Naraku, is also searching for fragments. He has the largest chunk of it by far, unfortunately. He does not work alone; he has his incarnations do the dirty work most of the time. The ones you will most likely be seeing are Kagura, Hakudoshi, and Kanna."

"Miko, why is the Shikon shattered in the first place?" Hiei asked.

"That would be none of your business," she replied casually. Before Hiei could prod her for the information he wanted, a roar from above caused all to look up. A large cream colored cat with flames around her feet and two tails began to descend to the ground.

"Welcome back Kagome," the rider on the cats back smiled.

"It's good to be back Sango," Kagome smiled. Sango jumped off of Kirara's back, a quizzical look crossed her face upon seeing the newcomers. "It's complicated," Kagome said knowing what question was forming in Sango's mind. "In a nutshell, they're here to help."

"Can they be trusted?" Sango whispered.

"I don't know, but I didn't exactly have a choice. Hello there Shippo, it's good to see you." Shippo smiled from his spot on Kagome's shoulder obviously happy the Miko had returned. After introductions were made Kagome turned to Sango. "Any new rumors?"

"Well, there have been rumors that Hakudoshi and Kagura were last spotted over by Kashini Village. What they were doing there though, no one seems to know."

"Then we should head there, they may be on to something." With that said they began the trek to Kashini Village. Shippo had noticed Kagome's icy attitude towards the newcomers, even if it wasn't all that noticeable.

"Don't worry; once she feels comfortable around you she'll be nicer. She just doesn't trust so easily right now," Shippo said to them feeling the need to assure them that she wasn't as bad as she seemed.

**T.H.E.P.R.O.T.E.C.T.O.R**

**Okay, I need help in figuring out what to put on the sheath of Kagome's sword. On Kurama and Hiei's they have 'Gaurdian' and 'Protector', but I can't figure out what to put on Kagome's. Any and all suggestions are welcomed and loved. Thanks for all the nice reviews! It makes me happy when I see another review in my E-mail. **

**Question Corner**

**Question 1: What's with the threatening of sealing the well?**

_Answer: I don't know, I just couldn't think of anything else. ;;_

**Parring Corner**

_Still undecided thus far, keep the suggestions coming. _

_Suggestions: _

_Kur/Kag/Hiei 2_

**Disclaimer Corner**

Inuyasha (c) Rumiko Takahashi

Yu Yu Hakusho (c) Yoshihiro Togashi


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